WE SURVIVED PARENT WEEK-END!

Parent weekend was great... Took tons of pictures of son Jonathan and friends! We had a blast hanging out at his apartment eating pizza watching football, touring the engineering department, learning all about the SURF grant he is writing and attending the game last night.. HOGS vs Troy! WOO PIG SOOIE!  

LOML and I did have a second to enjoy Lake Fort Smith where we parked the gypsy trailer.. All the other lots were super crowded, we opted for bit more relaxing retreat.  Cool nights, cool mornings perfect place for your first cup of coffee!  We did enjoy a heavy thunderstorm last night, first time we have been in a storm in the trailer...  

sunrise 

beautiful pavillion.. this is where we will have Jonathan's graduation party -- HOG '13! 

Mountains 

Calm water 

Glad to be home!!! 

Arkansas Bound....

Holla back Sunday!! 

Valarie

all polished up!

Serendipity Gypsy had a wash and polish today.. we are getting here all spiffed up & ready to roll to parent weekend at University of Arkansas this weekend!  She will be parked among many let's just say very LARGE RV's, and motor coach buses!  Think we will fit in with our little vintage love!!  

They polished and polished and cleaned the windows sparkling!! 

woo pig sooie!!  

Valarie 

Home Sweet Motor Home!!

I found this sweet motor home makeover and I had to share with you!! Go here to her adorable blog!

You must check out the before pictures!! 

Hope you enjoyed the tour... be still my heart... Pop over and say hello! 

  

9/11 - We will never forget...

Grateful...

My business is going crazy and I am grateful! Excited! There have been many days where I thought maybe the real estate market was not for me! However, after almost 2 years since my departure at ATT... I am beginning to see the fruits of my labor.

True friends are loyal and you know who you are thanks for the referral business!! You rock-seriously!!  

While everyone was enjoying labor day weekend I worked... and worked ...  and brought in contracts for $999K!! I had told LOML Thursday night prior to the holiday week end - I am going to sell a million dollars in real estate, I was pretty darn close!!

A beauty located in Fairview - 

Sloan Creek in Fairview 

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Thanks to all of you who have emailed me about my grandson... I am doing better each day.... although my eyes are swollen shut    Life brings changes ... Just wasn't expecting so soon!

Happy Week-end!  
Valarie

periwinkles loving the texas heat!!

Hugs..
Valarie

they moved...

Daughter and GRANDsons moved this weekend back to East Texas where she took a teaching position.  We have lived in the same city for 9 years, and they lived across the street from us for the last 4 years!  I would say my life is about to have more time, alot more time.     

The cute little farmhouse they had in the historic district.. now vacant! 

No more Mimi Thursday night... no more running across the street for cookies after school-  

No more running him to soccer, baseball, basketball practice & games all the things I love to be a a part of! 

His now vacant room that we laughed in and celebrated life daily in the past 4 years. From his front window he could see my house. He opened the blinds when he woke up in the mornings- I knew he was awake and ready for a bike ride, a phone call, or breakfast at our favorite places! We had our own signals! They were silly and fun ... I loved every minute of it.  

Funny how quickly life changes!!
Hugs.. Valarie 

Guest Blogger Friday- Come on in - The door is open!

Please help me welcome Rachel - 

I luckily stumbled across her adorable blog and she had me at hooked- 

The Olde Farmhouse on Windmill Farm  

When Valarie contacted me to do a guest post for her, I eagerly accepted. It's my first ever guest post and I'm so honored to be posting on Valarie's great blog! Thanks for having me, Valarie.

Before

Since she let it up to me, I decided to share my most recent project. A shelf makeover for the master bedroom. This shelf is a gift from my school students the year I quit teaching. It has served it's purpose well, but it's time for a new look. I wanted to keep it in the master bedroom because we use the hooks quite a bit. 

Here it is after the makeover:

 I was never in love with the carved design at the top so I filled it in with spackling (hey, it's what I had on hand). I should have used primer over it once I sanded it smooth but I didn't. I painted the shelf with 2 coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. Then I noticed the edges of the filled areas were cracking. Uh oh! A quick sanding smoothed it over but I knew it would just keep doing it. It was then that I added 2 light coats of Kilz primer. Then I painted it another coat of Old White and it went away. I added the wooden embellishments that I had previously and gave them a coat of Old White. Then I lightly distressed it, sanded it smooth and gave it a coat of wax.

Meanwhile, my original intention to disguise the mirror failed. I've seen the Mod Podge transfers in blogland and decided to try it on the mirror. I couldn't find anyone that had tried it on a mirror so I didn't know if it would work or not. Now I know - it's 'or not'. I quickly went to plan B. Using a scrap of drop cloth, a T-shirt transfer, and a free graphic from the Graphics Fairy, I created what you see. I Mod Podged it to the mirror and re-inserted it. The hooks received several light coats of oil rubbed bronze paint.

I'm loving the new look! And the best part is, I had most of what I used on hand. The only things I bought were the transfers and the center part of the embellishment. So, for about $3.35, I have project #1 completed for the master makeover.

Come over and visit me at Windmill Hill!! 

While the cat's away....

LOML (LOVE OF MY LIFE) is out of town this week on a work assignment! Thought I would have the master bedroom & bath painted. The color prior was called Sands of Time by Sherwin Williams and after 7 years of it.. a paint job was seriously overdue. I did tend to forget what a large task this is!!  

  2 days later..... bedroom is somewhat put back together... Love this color Natural Linen-  

I paint my ceilings with the same color.. I think white ceilings are ugly not attractive to me-  I like the flow of one color and it really makes your crown, baseboards, pop...

Morning sun coming in... everything is so fresh, so clean...  now if I could have some fabulous NEW bedding & plantation shutters for the master... LOML I would be HAPPY!! 

Happy day!
Valarie